WHMIS Training for Occupational Health & Safety (Canada)

Do you have chemicals in your workplace?

Do you know how to integrate the Act and the Regulation respecting occupational health and safety (ROSH)? According to this law, all your employees must receive WHMIS training before they even start handling these products. We have the right training for you. Our training complies with Health Canada and CNESST requirements and contains the information and training program. The latter includes procedures for the storage, handling, use and disposal of products.

This course aims to raise awareness of WHMIS and to make workers aware of impending hazards in their workplace. Each class and category of danger are thoroughly explained. We evaluate the entire journey of hazardous materials from their entry into the workplace to their output in finished products or residual materials. An audit (optional) is recommended beforehand.

Frequently asked questions

Is WHMIS required in Quebec?

WHMIS is required in Quebec for all workers who are exposed or are likely to be exposed to a hazardous product in their workplace under the Règlement sur l’information concernant les produits dangereux (RIPD, sect. VI, art. 29). This includes workers who are handling hazardous materials, and workers who are working in proximity to hazardous materials. Also worth mentioning is the same regulatory article requires the training given to employees to be ‘’ adapted to the workers, the specific characteristics of the workplace and the nature of the hazardous products present in the workplace.’’ For this reason, a generic training based only of online videos does not meet the regulatory requirements.

What is the WHMIS training for?

WHMIS gives workers a lot of important information for their safety, but to use WHMIS effectively, training is required. The objective of WHMIS training is to give workers the necessary knowledge to understand the labels, SDS and hazards associated to the products used in their workplace.

 

Amongst the information a WHMIS training allows to understand are the following:

• Particularities of different hazards
• Meaning of different pictograms
• Elements found in a SDS
• Elements required on a compliant label

How to get a WHMIS certificate in Canada?

A WHMIS certificate is issued when a worker has completed WHMIS training. This certificate can then be used by the employer as a proof the employee has been trained on WHMIS, which corresponds to the “training” part of the training and information program required under the Loi sur la santé et la sécurité au travail (LSST, art. 62.5). The “information” part of the program will instead be the information the employer has to communicate to the employee, like:

• The location of emergency exits
• The location of emergency showers
• The location of the safety data sheets
• The location of the PPE
• Name and contacts of emergency responders
• Emergency action response plan
• Location of the hazardous material
• Etc.

 

This information being specific to the workplace, it falls to the employer to communicate them to them employees, and to advise said employees of any changes to this information.

 

This training program must be updated at least once a year, or sooner if necessary, such as in one of the two following situations:

• “if a new hazardous product for which the workers have not received training or information is present in the workplace”
• “if a change occurs in the workplace that has an impact on work methods, on the risks of exposure to a hazardous product or on the procedure to be followed in an emergency”